Last Christmas FFVII
by Wandering Letters
Summary: Based on the song of the same name and a popular request following the success of Last Christmas from FFXIII. Set 3 years after Advent Children, Cloud closes up the Strife Delivery Service for the holidays and focuses his attention on his family. Will Cloud be able to finally be a father and more importantly, can he tell Tifa what he's been meaning to? Rated T but may change to M.


**(A/N):** **Hello readers. I'm terribly sorry for my very long absence from writing but I've returned after a hard term of university. I had a lot going on in my life but now that I have a break, I'll be sure to deliver as much content as I possibly can with the time I have. One of these is actually an extremely popular request that I've been waiting all year to write and now that we're near the time, it's about time I unveil it!**

**For those of you who are fans of my Final Fantasy XIII story, Last Christmas, my little cousin asked me to write the Cloud and Tifa equivalent of it. At first, I thought I would never be able to get that sort of inspiration again but after listening to a few Christmas carols as well as the very song that inspired the initial story, I think I've finally got it. It's been a while since I've returned to the Final Fantasy VII universe and Cloud and Tifa is probably my favorite pairing. It gives me great joy to present to you the first chapter of the Final Fantasy VII version of Last Christmas!**

**If you haven't read the Final Fantasy XIII version of Last Christmas, I would definitely love it if you check it out so you know how I got the inspiration for this story and I also recommend listening to the Christmas Carol because it will play a vital role in this story.**

**Please, leave reviews and if you have any concerns or questions or even just want to say hi, feel free to message me; I read every single one of them!**

**Oh I should probably say this as well...**

**I'M BACK AND HERE TO STAY! :D**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Final Fantasy VII nor any content associated with it but if I did, Advent Children would've had a HELL of a lot more CloTi moments.**

* * *

**Letting It All Go**

_"Did you get everything?"_  
"I made sure to,"

A soft sigh of relief indicated that the worry was gone.

_"I was afraid we were late with the shopping this year,"_  
"One month in advance is late?"

A giggle followed those words.

_"You know me; miss organization,"_

He smiled and laughed softly.

"Does Barrett have the kids?"  
_"Picked them up twenty minutes ago,"_  
"Is Yuffie still there?"_  
"She went to sleep early; she had a pretty long day,"_

He nodded.

"I'll be home in a few minutes...can we talk when I come back?"

His serious tone seemed to take her aback for a moments.

_"I'd never have expected you to say something like that,"_

He released a soft breath in an attempt to calm his suddenly doubled heart rate.

"It's not about work or anything...it's just something I've been thinking about for a while that I want to tell you about,"

His tone was once again serious but this time, it was gentle enough to make it seem like the topic was delicate.

_"I'll warm dinner up now then,"_  
"See you in a few,"  
_"Cloud?"_

A short pause followed the blonde warrior's name.

_"Thank you for doing this for me,"_ she said with sincerity.

He smiled to himself.

"It's no problem," he replied.

The line went dead as he looked at the phone and noted the call time. He had spoken to Tifa for the entire duration of the annual Christmas shopping trip which was at an all time highest of 2 hours and 42 minutes. He shuddered to think of the phone bill he ran up but at the moment, finances were far from a problem. He closed the phone before securing all of the goods to the Fenrir before kicking the motorcycle to life. Donning his signature goggles, he set off back for 7th Heaven, this time not to leave for an entire month.

It was coming towards that time again. The time where everyone in the group came back together and spent time with each other. The time where for once, everything was a peace. Christmas was coming.

It wasn't an easy three years after the final defeat of Sephiroth and the purge of the Geostigma for Cloud Strife. Though he had forgiven himself for all of his past mistakes, he was still a delivery boy who had to run miles upon miles away from home and sometimes having to spend days on end away from his "family". Things were well with them which wasn't something Cloud could say three years prior.

Denzel continued to look up to Cloud like a hero and idol and three years later, Denzel grew to be a strong young man, already able to do many of the exercises a novice soldier could do. Whenever he had the free time, Cloud always showed Denzel a few sword forms in addition to allowing him to work out with him to keep in shape. Now more than ever, Denzel viewed Cloud like the father he never had.

Marlene bonded with Tifa more than anyone else but she was close enough to Cloud to genuinely be concerned about him, nearly as much as Tifa herself. Surprisingly, Marlene was warm to him and was always the first person to hug him whenever he returned home from a trip and even more surprisingly, the girl expressed interest in the service, perhaps one day hoping to get involved in it herself.

Then there was the person who took all of his thoughts: Tifa Lockhart. Still his closest friend and still the woman he came home to, she was always worried about him. Though he was open to her and told her just about everything he could, there was still a wall between them and it was a wall that Cloud feared more than anything else he had faced up to now: the uncertainty of feelings. To any ordinary bystander, they would think Cloud and Tifa were a couple who already raised two kids but the reality that Tifa was simply a close friend, roommate and partner was something that would baffle any person who heard the story and for good reason; Tifa was the goddess of 7th Heaven.

Kindness that extended perhaps even beyond his own accompanied by a pure heart wrapped up in the curvaceous body that many a man in Midgar sought after was the woman Cloud grew up with and has lived with ever since they first defeated Sephiroth. It was difficult for Cloud not to think about where things were going, especially since the day he defeated Sephiroth, he came to a realization: his care for Tifa extended far beyond that of a mere friend. Finding Tifa unconscious in the church after her battle with Lazoo was a moment that was still burned into his memories. Though Tifa would always say that she's a big girl and that she could take care of herself, Cloud knew that she was no match for a remnant of Sephiroth and upon discovering her body, he cursed himself for being unable to protect her. He would forever curse himself until the day his Geostigma was cleansed and when he forgave himself, he also dedicated himself to his family, especially for Tifa.

She was always there for him despite how cold and distant he was to them and even through his struggles with the remnants of Sephiroth and even the battle itself, she continued to encourage him as she always did without fail. The dedication she gave him was something he believed he didn't deserve because he couldn't give the equivalent. Now, he could but the true question still remains: what will _they _be?

* * *

**Fifteen Minutes Later- The 7th Heaven Bar**

Tifa finished the small glass of wine and wiped her mouth.

"Thanks for dinner," said Cloud.

The fact that he ate every single bite that she cooked for him made her that much happier inside.

"No problem," she replied with a smile.

She moved to pick up the plates but he raised a hand.

"I'll take care of it but can we talk first?" he asked.

Tifa nodded and they moved to the couch. The blonde SOLDIER looked down at the floor as if attempting to articulate his thoughts before he finally looked her in the eyes, mako blue meeting ruby.

"Would you call what we have with Marlene and Denzel a family?" he asked.  
"Of course we are Cloud," she replied.

Cloud's eyes indicated he wasn't satisfied with her answer.

"No...that's not what I mean; are we really a family?" he asked once more.

Tifa pondered the meaning of his words but much to her surprise, she couldn't tell what he was referring to.

"I know I've promised to be there and not to run away anymore...but I can't help but feel I'm not doing enough," he explained.

She shook her head on the inside; typical Cloud to always believe he could do more for others.

"I haven't spent a lot of time with the kids and even more so with you," he said.

His eyes narrowed.

"I know that I've been a lot more open...but for some reason I feel as if there's a wall between us which I why I need to know something," he said.

She looked at him.

"What am I to you Tifa?" he asked.

The question Tifa long since buried within her mind came shooting back to the surface in a mere moment, her thoughts returned to the feelings she had thought were useless. It was no secret to her and to Yuffie that she had loved him even since they were children, when she discovered his motive for wanting to join SOLDIER and the blow he took when the village pinned her accident on him. She knew that even though he had adopted Zack's persona due to all of the trauma he experienced at the hands of Sephiroth and at the deaths of Zack and Aerith, he was still the same man she knew all her life. The same man she agreed to partner with, the same man she became roommates with, the same man she fought side by side with...the same man she looked forward to seeing everyday. Cloud Strife had become a part of her life and a part that she didn't want to disappear for any reason. She had to fight hard to hide her feelings for him because she knew it would've only served to burden him further with the emotional baggage that came with Sephiroth's return and her potential danger from his presence and she knew that if she revealed everything to him and she was wrong, it would only push him away more.

"You're my best friend Cloud and a part of me that I just don't want to disappear," she replied.

His eyes scanned hers, his expression blank but years of practice of reading his eyes taught her how to sense his emotions and she knew that he was extremely appreciative of her words.

"Tifa...what if I told you...that you mean everything to me?" he asked.

She opened her mouth to talk but he scooted closer to her and took one of her hands in both of his.

"I've done a lot of thinking and I want...more," he explained.

His grip on her hand tightened slightly.

"I miss the times we had in Nibelheim...and I miss you," he continued.

Her heart immediately warmed.

"That's why I've decided to close the shop for the rest of the year," he said.

She looked at him in almost complete disbelief.

"And...I want to take you out tomorrow night, if that's alright with you," he continued.

Her heart jumped into her throat and a wave of excitement rushed through her.

"Of course it's alright with me!" she said with a smile.

Cloud looked at her for a moment as if in disbelief but soon gave her a warm smile.

"I'm proud of you Cloud," she said softly.

He raised an eyebrow and she hugged him tenderly.

"You're finally letting it all go," she whispered.

He instantly caught on to what she was referring to and put a hand around her back, returning the hug much to her surprise as indicated by her sudden tense.

"I want to make things whole again...and this is a start," he said.

He released her before turning to go upstairs. A few steps before he went upstairs, he turned back and reached into his pocket before pulling out a crimson ribbon. The cloth's texture made it seem shiny, almost like the finest silk one could lay eyes on.

"A child gave this to me when I was leaving town...I thought it would look good in your hair," he said.

Tifa turned her back to him and pushed her hair back, non-verbally asking him to tie it in for her. He approached her and obliged, pinning up her hair in quite a neat ponytail. She turned around and looked at him innocently. He smiled warmly.

"It looks good on you," he said smoothly.

His honesty was definitely one of the reasons why she enjoyed his company so much; he would never lie about anything to her and knowing that he wouldn't gave her a sense of comfort that no one else could provide.

"I need to make a trip to town in the morning to get some things but I'll be back for our...date?" he said.

She giggled at the way he said the final word.

"Yes Cloud...it's a date," she said with a wink.

He blushed briefly before laughing softly.

"Good night Tifa," he said.  
"Good night Cloud," she replied.

He disappeared behind his door, leaving her to her thoughts.


End file.
